used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
in the past
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
apple-trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
completely unclothed
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading It was early, and the children were still in bed.
blossomverbUS /ˈblɑːsəm/
produce or yield flowers
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading It was early, and the children were still in bed.
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading It was early, and the children were still in bed.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
hawthornnounUS /ˈhɔːθɔːrn/
a spring-flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was early, and the children were still in bed.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
Jane's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
lushadjectiveUS /lʌʃ/
produced or growing in extreme abundance
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
nurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
patchesnounUS /ˈpætʃəz/
plural of “patch” — a small contrasting part of something
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
plannedadjectiveUS /plænd/
designed or carried out according to a plan
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
quiltnounUS /kwɪlt/
bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
SAFEGUARDnounUS /ˈseɪfɡɑːrd/
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
spottedadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːtɪd/
having spots or patches (small areas of contrasting color or texture)
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
not in physical motion
From this reading It was early, and the children were still in bed.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
the rays of the sun
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
thorn-trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
waked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A SAFEGUARD FOR HAPPINESS May was at its height; all the apple-trees were in blossom, and the crimson thorn-trees on the lawn.
a Caucasian
From this reading Bright patches of sunlight spotted the bare floor and Jane's red and white quilt.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Through the open nursery windows a soft wind brought the smell of hawthorn and lush green grass.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading They were wide awake--the sun had waked them an hour ago--and already they had planned how they would spend the day.
